The Effect of Physical Activity on Arterial Stiffness, Inflammation and Lipoproteins among 30-65-Year-Old Men

Introduction: Obesity and an inactive lifestyle increase risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. We did a cross-sectional study on 120 men with and 80 men without metabolic syndrome to investigate the connection between patient-reported physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: The subjects' daily amount of physical exercise was assessed with a structured questionnaire regarding normal weekly amount, type and mode of physical activity. The subjects were stratified into different groups regarding their physical activity and metabolic syndrome status. We compared lipid levels, resting heart rate, hs-CRP, HbA1c and arterial elasticity of the subjects in different groups. Results: Subjects with metabolic syndrome and high amounts of daily physical activity had higher resting heart rate, hs-CRP, triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol than their counterparts without metabolic syndrome who reported lower levels of daily physical activity. Conclusions: An increase in daily physical activity was associated with lower HbA1c among men with metabolic syndrome up to the level of subjects without metabolic syndrome. Increasing physical activity solely is an insufficient strategy for improving all the unfavorable cardiovascular risk factors related to metabolic syndrome.